Revival
by Jozephine
Summary: After nearly a decade of regrowth and prosperity under his rule, President Duluth has revived the Games post-rebellion, with new competitors and rewards of both riches and power for those skilled enough to survive. Here, everybody is on an equal playing field- even the Capitol... Now, extravagance saves nobody. SYOT Open!
1. President Duluth

_A/N: Nothing belongs to me, I am not Suzanne Collins._

* * *

"We at the Capitol are honored to welcome to the first annual revival of the Hunger Games."

* * *

The deep, almost comforting voice of President Duluth rang throughout the Capitol and the eleven Districts. On screen, the President stood on a large stage before his Presidential mansion. The large manor had guard-manned pillars surrounding the perimeters and large, cast-iron gates. The new security seemed like overkill to the casual observer, but the President was a careful man- even more so after the Mockingjay's rebellion, and his paranoia showed through in his chosen architecture. He was a dark-skinned man with soulful brown eyes and short, well-kept hair. He had kindly, elderly features, but there was a sharp air about him, and there was no doubt he wasn't as comforting as he seemed on television.

"If you recall, we announced last year the changes made to the Games. Please know that while we believe these Games are necessary reminders-" he paused. "-we are no monsters: we value our Districts greatly." The man almost seemed genuine in his speech and gestures; the citizens of the Capitol were clearly enthralled by their charismatic leader. He'd done much good for the districts, with more food being on the tables of Panem than ever before, and much more productivity from each region. It'd been a peaceful decade thus far. "Apart from monetary rewards and Games exemption for they and their families... Beginning this year, our Victor shall be given an honorary seat upon our Council of Panem, directly overseen by myself, so that they may represent the districts and their best interests each year, and work to serve Panem." This announcement was met with small, excited gasps and chatter, and thunderous applause from the Capitol audience. What a prize!

"I am very excited to meet and personally congratulate each tribute that is entered tomorrow, and to wish each of them my very best." President Duluth read from the card that peeked over the podium. "I also have another change to announce. Along with Districts One, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, and Eleven… for the first time in history, two tributes from the Capitol will be called to serve as well." This time, the gasps were confused and tiny murmurs flooded the people who stood before him. The President only smiled serenely, blissfully ignoring the consternation his words seemed to cause.

"With that, I look forward to seeing each tribute tomorrow morning. I wish you all the best of luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor." With that, screen around Panem went dark, replaced with the Capitol seal. The anthem blared pridefully and the broadcast ended, leaving a chilled silence behind.

* * *

_- author's note -_

* * *

Hi, guys! This is my first time doing a Hunger Games fan fiction.

To make things clear, this is an alternate verse where Katniss and Peeta have died and the rebellion failed. District 12 and District 13 no longer exist (to be specific, District 12 is currently being rebuilt, but doesn't have a sustainable population or resources to take from yet). District 2 was the only District who's leaders and citizens allied with the Capitol government, and so they aren't required to participate in the Games as a positive example of loyalty to others. (The Council thing is more of a tactic to keep Victors docile and making them a real part of the Capitol.)

For a reviewer who asked: (I apologize for not clearing this up earlier!) The Capitol citizens are not exempt from the reaping. In this particular timeline, many Capitol citizens had rebelled in their own way. Long story short, rebellious groups formed and gave heavy financial backing (for weapons, transportation, etc.) and political support to the rebels' cause. The Capitol was pretty solidly split in their loyalties and so the President decided to take tributes from them as well, in the hopes it would teach a lesson and make an example. District 2 is the only district to remain loyal to the Panem government's ideals and were spared to show that the President would indeed reward loyalty.

For this story, I'll be taking reviews and PM's with character descriptions. I want well-written, non-Sue/Stu characters! I will be doing Reaping chapters first, then Training, and then finally the arena. Each time I write a chapter, I'll update the tribute list, and when it's full, I'll officially close the SYOT status.

This is starting as T, but in later chapters may reach M status. Just a warning!

As for the SYOT portion:

**Capitol:**

Male: Lysander Paxton

Female:

**District 1:**

Male:

Female:

**District 3:**

Male:

Female:

**District 4:**

Male:

Female: Kinsey Mahan

**District 5:**

Male:

Female:

**District 6:**

Male:

Female:

**District 7:**

Male:

Female:

**District 8:**

Male:

Female:

**District 9:**

Male:

Female:

**District 10:**

Male:

Female:

**District 11:**

Male:

Female:

**Please message me with the following:**

Name:

Gender:

Age:

District:

Appearance:

Personality:

Background/History:

Family/Friends/Relationships:

Volunteer: Y/N?

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Fears:

Weapon of choice:

Skills to learn:

Alliances:

Other:

May the odds be ever in your favor. :)

Love,

Jo

P.S. I'll try to come up with a sponsorship system!


	2. Reaping- The Capitol

_A/N: Here is the first set of reapings!_

* * *

"Wow, this is so intense!" Feduca Jennings seemed to be the only person here who didn't seem either terrified, enraged, or depressed. Her honey blonde hair was piled into a smooth bun atop her head, and her eyes seemed to be alight by her eagerness (and perhaps some of her copious eyeshadow). There were squeals and swears of pain as Peacekeepers took blood from the citizens of the Capitol for their records, and lots of nervous shuffling and redirection all around her. It was obvious that they'd never done this before and the Peacekeepers looked extremely annoyed with the entire situation. Feduca didn't seem to be bothered by the low rumble of chaos surrounding her. "I wonder who's going to get picked… Would I want to? I don't even know!" She seemed almost giddy and was flapping her hands with excitement.

"Calm down, Feduca!" her friend Victoire hissed, although she was smiling a bit. Why she was so excited, no one would ever know. Feduca always seemed excited about something. Somebody was taking the stage, and the man tapped the microphone, feedback sputtering through the speakers that had been erected near the audience. Panem's national anthem began to play, and a promotional video aired while the citizens settled themselves, nervous chittering beginning to quiet.

The man had soft pink hair, long and in a low ponytail, pale skin, and shimmering lips. "Look at his hair color, it's so pretty! Looks like your dye job." Feduca giggled, not paying a lick of attention to the video playing. Vic harrumphed.

"My skin looks way better than hi- Oh, look, he's got the Reaping Ball! I don't know what I'll do if I get picked…" A man shushed the pair of girls, but the video had ended.

"Attention, attention! Welcome, everybody. My name is Giovanni Portius. I'm the escort to… to the Capitol tributes." He cleared his throat, appearing to stumble over the words- they certainly were unfamiliar, after all. "Today is the reaping of the tributes for the first Hunger Games since the rebellion. Here I have our traditional Reaping Ball... and without further ado, I will draw the name of our female tribute! After I call the name, anyone who wishes to volunteer may do so." Giovanni looked ashen-faced, or maybe it was his cotton candy hair that washed him out so badly. Either way, he didn't look happy to be sticking his hand in that glass bowl.

He grabbed a piece of paper, and withdrew his arm. "Our female tribute for this year's Games is… Feduca Jennings! Feduca Jennings, where are you?"

Feduca's eyes widened and she looked around wildly. "What? How can…?"

"Go!" Vic whispered, giving her friend a little shove. "It's you! Go get famous!" She was kind of relieved it was Feduca and not her, realistically, but her beautiful friend would look fabulous with a Victor's crown. Honestly, she wasn't even sure that Feduca was aware the Games weren't just special effects or something like that. Her friend was wonderful, but sometimes she had to wonder...

Feduca was anxious, yes, but excitement also flooded through her. She plastered on a nearly manic smile and straightened herself up, her tall frame looking elegant and composed, although she felt slightly frantic inside. The light peach dress she'd worn swayed as she tottered up the stairs, and she was glad that she'd dolled herself for the cameras. She allowed Giovanni to kiss her hand and she took a place before the microphone.

"Hello, I'm Feduca Jennings," she said, beaming at the entirety of Panem from her spot on the stage.

* * *

Lysander Paxton had barely slept a wink the night before and was ready to doze during the reaping. He was eighteen and was pretty certain he wouldn't be reaped, but it'd been mandated that every potential tribute show up and for some reason, he still felt a bit anxious. Not that he'd ever admit it or anything. He met his father's eyes, arranging his face in a 'why me?' type of expression, and his father shook his head as if to sympathize. This whole thing was ridiculous to both of the men. His father had supported the government of Panem in a time of need with ample donations and fundraising and there was really no danger to his son, but this whole Reaping was a waste of time for the Paxton family.

Lysander had barely bothered to make himself presentable for the day's proceedings. He wore a navy tunic and dark silver slacks, and his light brown hair was swept back. At least it didn't stick up. He had gotten his eyes modified for his eighteenth birthday as a gift from his mother (she was certainly a fan of cosmetic surgery, judging by her inability to smile without resembling a reptile), and while formerly hazel, they were now a light grey-violet sort of color. They looked more freaky than cool like he'd initially hoped- Lysander had noticed a sharp drop in dates- but it was kind of fun to stare at someone for a prolonged period of time and watch their reaction. He could live with the trade off.

He was herded in with the rest of the guys his age, and he was busy chatting with his friend while the female tribute was called. "Hey, look at that." Lysander's friend nudged him in the ribs, pointing at Feduca, who was currently sashaying up to Giovanni to take her place.

"Hmm," Lysander said, his eyes narrowing a bit as he studied her. "I might just volunteer to get a piece of that," he cracked loudly, earning a few sniggers. The two boys high-fived one another, earning a couple of glares from the adjacent group of girls who'd heard his piggish comment.

"Lysander Paxton!"

Lysander was still snickering at his own comment before realizing everyone around him had gone silent. Then it hit him. "What… the fuck?" Lysander asked nobody in particular.

"Looks like you didn't' need to volunteer," his friend muttered quietly, but nobody laughed at his remark in the sobering quiet.

A peacekeeper had noticed his lack of response and began to shepherd him towards Giovanni's direction. "Get your hands off of me!" Lysander snarled defensively, nearly tripping over himself as he walked up to the stage. He passed by his parents, both whom looked devastated by the announcement as Peacekeepers began to escort them somewhere as well, and Lysander began to feel lightheaded with fear and nervousness. He took his place next to Feduca (who he noticed was a solid inch or two taller), and leaned into the microphone. "Lysander Paxton," he said stonily. At least he didn't stutter.

The blood had drained from his face by this point, and everything sounded like it was underwater as smatterings of uncertain applause echoed throughout the square.

Feduca shook hands with her obviously terrified partner, feeling a bit of pity for him. She was scared, but she at least could hide it. He looked more like he was about to throw up- his normally tan skin looked like it had some greenish undertones to it right about now. "You know you're on national television, right?" she breathed quietly to him, intending to be helpful. He only sneered at her in response as Giovanni whisked them away, probably to the train.

* * *

A bit later, they were at the station that would take them to the heart of the Capitol. Lysander's parents both grabbed him in a tight hug, Peacekeepers eyeing everybody warily. "Lysander, oh… honey," his mother said, her tearstricken face struggling to make itself appear saddened. It wasn't her fault, just the botulism, and Lysander understood. His father looked enraged, however.

"Don't lose hope yet, son. Wait until I talk to somebody. There's no way they can let this proceed, not with how loyal our family was- the Council even has my name," he said darkly. He clapped Lysander on the shoulder, trying not to appear too upset for the sake of his family. "We'll get you out of this son, don't you worry. I don't care how much money it takes, I'll see to it." Lysander gave his father a weak smile, but something told him that money wouldn't solve this problem. Not by a long shot.

He glaced over, and Feduca's only company was her friend Victoire- no family to be seen, although it wasn't anybody's business but her own.

"Hey, don't worry too much. Just keep looking beautiful like you do and I'm sure everyone here will sponsor you enough to get you home," Victoire said, hugging her friend tightly. "I know you'll kill it!" Clearly, the seriousness of the situation hadn't hit them yet. Either that, or this was how the two friends coped.

Feduca gave her an appreciative smile. At times like these, she was grateful for Vic and her perpetual optimism. "Thanks, Vic. I'll give you a shout-out during my interview! I mean, at least I'm going to look beautiful on national television." It was a weak joke, but both of the girls giggled.

"Alright, everybody," one of the Peacekeepers said gruffly. The other three were escorting the two tributes' friends and family out. "Time's up, we need to get these two on the move."

Lysander and Feduca both boarded the train, waving one last time to their respective visitors. Feduca sat across from him, crossing her ankles primly, looking anywhere but at her strange-looking partner. Lysander immediately turned sideways so that he could lay down and ponder his fate while observing the unusually decorative ceiling tiles. Giovanni appeared from another car, giving them a smile that was just a little too large for the occasion. Lysander decided that he already disliked the man. "Hey, guys. Are you two ready? We're heading downtown for the tribute parade and all of that fun stuff right now, so just sit tight. I know this is the first time anyone from the Capitol's been here-" his smile lessened by a molar or two "-but President Duluth did allow us to give you a mentor from District Two, since they aren't competing this year. So there's that news!"

Neither of the new tributes responded. They only looked at one another, and Feduca offered him a tiny smile. He was the only person who understood her now, after all. They were the closest of anybody to the celebrations, but this would be a very long ride.

* * *

_Hey, guys! This is our first set of reapings, introducing Feduca and Lysander. I hope you guys enjoyed it. _

_Here is our updated list: _

**Capitol female**: Feduca Jennings

**Capitol male**: Lysander Paxton (myself)

**District 4 female**: Kinsey Mahan (myself)

**District 8 female**: Orion DeWinter

_PM me OR leave a review to reserve a spot/send a tribute in. If I don't get anyone for District One in the next couple of days, I'll go ahead and fill in with my own or my friends' characters._

_Thanks bunches! :) _

_xoxo,_

_Jo_


	3. Reaping- District 1

_A/N: Here's District 1! Thanks to my submitters for helping me get this show on the road. :D Note: I love reviews! CC is always welcome through review or through PM._

* * *

"I love you!" A tall brunette whispered excitedly, before kissing her younger sister Gemma's cheek and giving her a squeeze. They were in District One's town square on Reaping Day, and Gemma was about to volunteer. She remembered the day of the announcement- Aurora was eighteen; Gemma could remember her sister's eyes lighting up at the news, thinking maybe she would have a chance to volunteer. It would have been a close call either way, but Aurora missed the age deadline by no more than a month. Instead, she urged seventeen-year-old Gemma to take her place, probably so she could live vicariously through her.

Gemma stood anxiously with the other girls her age. There wasn't really the same excitement in the air, as they were one of the old Career districts. The training academy had been shut down and used as an extension of one of the schoolhouses for the past couple of years, but the moment the Games had been announced over the air, her home leapt into action. They re-renovated the academy and began interviewing potential volunteers. Training started soon after, and the volunteers had been selected three months ago.

"Congrats!" a girl whispered, flashing a small smile at Gemma. Gemma felt pride swell in her chest and whispered a 'thank you' in return, as a dark-skinned Capitol woman with diamonds on her skin took the stage and began her welcoming speech. She'd been reluctant to try and volunteer at first- Aurora had nearly bullied her into volunteering and training- but it'd made a huge difference in her self-image. Gemma wasn't as pretty or as charismatic as her older sister (she was a bit bulky and awkward, in fact), but she soon learned she was resourceful and had a lot of raw strength for a girl and eventually earned her place to volunteer.

The woman with the gems reached a hand into the glass bowl, her long nails clicking as she swirled it dramatically. She unfolded a piece of paper. "Daria Marlenson!" she called out, and a young girl with braided blonde hair froze. Everyone knew that the tributes here volunteered, but the fear was instinctual.

"I volunteer!" Gemma shouted. She strode confidently to the stage, trying to contain the goofy smile threatening to spread across her face. She could see her father and sister in the audience and Gemma grinned anyway, despite her trying to appear stoic and cool.

"And what is your name, young lady? You look so happy to be here!"

"Gemma Axene," she responded, smile still plastered on her face. She tucked some of her wavy, ginger hair behind her ear and turned to face the audience.

"Wonderful! Congratulations, Gemma. And now, for our male tribute…," their escort said, her hand diving into the second bowl.

"Malik Tarsier!"

Beryl glanced up as the young man's name was called out, like he'd forgotten that he was supposed to volunteer. No nervous energy was to be seen on his person; he seemed like he was hardly paying attention until that moment. "I volunteer," he called out almost lazily, his disconnected tone in stark contrast to Gemma's display of bubbling enthusiasm. Why be excited at a position that had always been his?

Beryl Talcatin was a real contrast to his partner in more than one way. His dark, short curls and tan skin were unusual in District One as it were. He looked very confident, almost mysterious in a way as he approached the stage, face completely expressionless save for a tiny "I-know-I'm-fantastic" smirk. He had a tendency to keep to himself, and while many of his classmates knew who he was, they had no idea who was about to represent them in the Games. He climbed the steps and stood beside Gemma, staring over the others' heads.

He'd been training for this day for a while now, even if it wasn't consciously so. Beryl had always had a temper and a tendency to act out in his classes and at home. As a result, his parents enrolled him in martial arts, hoping that the extracurriculars would teach him some discipline and give him an outlet for his near-constant angry attitude. When he learned they would continue the Games, it was like some sort of kismet. Destiny, perhaps, that he volunteer and fight.

As soon as the reinstatement of the Games had been announced, Beryl knew that he would be the one to volunteer, to hell with anything and anyone that tried to get in his way. He was still the sullen teenager his parents knew and loved (patient souls that they were), but there was a different fire in his eyes now and there was no way that his mother or father would try to stop him from pursuing his new goal. Beryl had achieved volunteer status without much trouble, at all, and now here he was. The audience was applauding loudly for he and Gemma, and finally Beryl allowed himself to smile just a little.

"Would you introduce yourself for us, please?" A microphone was thrust in front of him.

"Beryl Talcatin. I'm honored to be here," Beryl said smoothly into the microphone, his eyebrows raising a bit at the sound of his voice coming out of the speakers. It was a surreal experience and it felt good.

"Beryl, what a lovely name- so elegant! Beryl Talcatin and Gemma Axene- congratulations to the both of you, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

District One applauded one more time, before their escort swept the pair of them away to say their last goodbyes.

At the station, Gemma and her sister hugged each other tightly. "Good luck, Gemma," Aurora said. "I'm rooting for you- I'm so jealous!" She exchanged embraces with her father, also giving her words of encouragement before she boarded the train to take them to the Capitol. Her family stood proudly, and her sister shouted another "I love you!" before the door closed behind Gemma.

To her surprise, Beryl was already seated and had himself a steaming cup of coffee. "That was quick," she commented, not recalling seeing his parents.

"My parents know I'm not some kind of sap. We said our goodbyes earlier," he said, rolling his eyes. Gemma bristled a bit, mildly offended at her partner's remark. Maybe he hadn't meant to insult her, some people were just like that. She decided not to address the remark, but he kept speaking.

"I guess I'm going to have to ally with you," Beryl continued, too bluntly. He eyed her up and down, and Gemma felt like he was making a very obvious judgment call- and right she was. "You'll do, I suppose. You probably won't help us much with sponsors, but you look strong enough."

"You won't get us any sponsors either with that attitude," she snapped back, growing tired of him very quickly.

"Well, I can change my attitude for the cameras," Beryl pointed out, raising his eyebrows. Gemma fumed inwardly and was tempted to ask what he meant by that, but decided it wasn't worth it to fight with her partner the entire ride to the Capitol.

"Ready, lady and gentleman?" chirped their escort, the gemstones on her face glinting in the light. "If you didn't catch it before, my name's Gardenia."

Gemma was relieved to find she had some sort of friendly company, so she didn't need to sit here in tense silence. "Nice to meet you. I love your diamonds," she said with a smile. Capitol fashion was just amazing, if not a bit bizarre.

"Thank you! I'm sure we can get you something similar if you want it, I have so many ideas and you'll just love your stylist…" That sparked a comfortable conversation, and Gemma relaxed a bit.

Beryl crossed his arms, letting out a tiny sigh. He gazed out of the window as the train started to move, exponentially picking up speed as they headed towards the Capitol and the Games.

* * *

_A/N: Please R&R and don't hesitate to send me some tributes over review or PM!_

**Tributes**:

**Capitol female**: Feduca Jennings

**Capitol male**: Lysander Paxton

**District One female**: Gemma Axene

**District One male**: Beryl Talcatin

**District Three female**: Neva Kylo

**District Three male**: Ohm Sanjaya

**District Four female**: Kinsey Mahan

**District Four male**: Iain Trescott

**District Eight female**: Orion DeWinter

**District 11 female**: Hazel Rose Jackson

Here is our roster so far!

Thanks!

Jo


End file.
